Brew Review – Anderson Valley Brewing Company Poleeko Gold Pale Ale

Welcome to the new Brew Review section of Gram Magazine. This section has evolved based on reader feedback. What we can promise is that the beers and ciders we review will by and large be small batch, genuinely boutique, hard to find and made by brewers with a genuine love of their craft.

This week’s review focuses on an American Pale Ale from Anderson Valley Brewing Company in California. American beer is generally criticised as being too light, tasteless and generally boring and I guess when you consider the big, well known brands, it’s probably closer to the truth.

Anderson Valley Brewing has been around for 37 years with a focus on grain brewing to produce ales, porters, stouts and wheat beers. They are a small batch producer producing only 15,000 barrels per year.

I’ll admit from the start, I’m a big Pale Ale fan. It is one of those beers that you can drink all year round and it goes with just about everything. The Anderson Valley Poleeko Gold Pale Ale was my first taste of an American Pale Ale and it didn’t disappoint. The colour is as you would expect from a Pale Ale, honey gold that is crisp and clear. I found the beer slightly on the drier side, which would work well with oily fish and antipasto.

Overall I really enjoyed this beer. I was sceptical about the claim that American brewers are reconnecting with their drinks, but credit to Anderson Valley Brewing this was thoroughly enjoyable.

GRAM is an Australian magazine dedicated to how a nation experiences all things food and drink. It does away with traditional food magazine formulas, preferring a journalistic approach. Published by qualified and experienced journalists, GRAM features news, features, analysis and investigations of the industry. We do not accept payment for our journalism. We do not publish reviews. We are not bloggers (we love them, but there's a difference) and we absolutely are not "influencers" (just don't).

GRAM magazine is a bi-monthly print/digital magazine of how a city experiences all things food and drink. It does away with traditional magazine formulas, offering instead a snapshot of articles, opinions and reviews, published online by local food writers.